The Kondratoff’s Star Wars Wedding at the Carriage House Inn

The Kondratoff’s Star Wars Wedding at the Carriage House Inn

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A Touch of Star Wars at the Kondratoff Wedding

We started the day of Isabella and Sasha’s wedding at groomsman Tyler’s house, where the guys were getting ready for the day. They were in the midst of preparing, tying their Downton Abbey inspired neckties and enjoying a glass of scotch.

After opening their gifts from Sasha, flasks and shot glasses, they clinked their glasses to the groom-to-be. We photographed them in what could be described as a “Flying V,” the guys holding one another up in formation. The group were a lot of fun, and the photos reflect that with the big smiles on everyone’s faces.

We wrapped up with Sasha and headed over to meet with the girls. We arrived right on time, just as the final touches were put on the makeup. We photographed the final setting spray and moved upstairs to shoot the details.

On a custom hanger, Isabella’s beautiful mermaid-style gown was hung in the window, allowing the soft light from outside to filter through. Isabella’s mom helped her into her dress, and we captured the moment through a three-panel mirror, to great effect.

Their Ceremony at the Great Parish in St. Albert

We left the women and headed off to the Great Parish in St. Albert, where we met with Deacon John Walsh. The building is gorgeous, with bright open spaces, stained glass backdrops, and a stunning brick exterior.

After the guests were settled, Sasha entered with his parents, shortly followed by Isabella and her folks. As her brother was coming in, he nearly took a tumble down the stairs, and the near-fall became a running joke throughout the day.

The ceremony was beautiful, and Deacon John Walsh presided over a down-to-earth service, with a homily and a psalm, and the exchange of rings. Isabella had a bit of a tough time getting the ring onto Sasha’s finger, and as she pushed he took a step back, prompting the guests to have a good laugh.

After the ceremony, we moved into family photos, beginning with her family and following with his.

The Creative Formals at Prestwick Playground and North Glenmore Park

We began the creative formals outside near the church, capturing Isabella’s beautiful veil and using the archway to frame the wedding party.

Next, we wandered down to Prestwick Pirate and Castle Playground where Sasha proposed. On their first date, the couple went geocaching, so when he proposed, he created a throwback to that date. Next to the pirate chest in the park, he hid a note for Isabella in a geocache, and when she opened the box he got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife! So, on their wedding day, we returned to the area and restaged the moment. We then photographed the couple and their wedding party on the playground, taking some time out of the busy day to relax and just have fun!

We followed up with a visit to Burger King, one of Isabella’s favourite spots, and enjoyed some tasty food in a private section of the restaurant. It was a nice break in the day and allowed the happy couple to have a moment to themselves.

When we had our fill of burgers, we headed to the Rundle Ruins for a few shots amongst the structures and wandered up and down the pathways before heading over to North Glenmore Park.

Sasha is a huge Star Wars fan, so it filtered into the theme of the day. Isabella completely supports his love of the franchise, and the two even brought along a set of lightsabers for the shoot. On their first date, they talked Star Wars, and Sasha knew he needed to marry her. She even bought him his prized Darth Vader costume!

So, the couple pulled out the lightsabers and began to duel. We photographed the fight, and as things got more combative, Isabella pulled a Force move and mock choked him, Darth Vader style. We had a lot of fun with the sequence of shots, and hope they love the fun and irreverent photos!

The Kondratoff Reception at the Carriage House Inn

After the battle, we returned to the Carriage House Inn for the reception. The decor by Chair Flair was absolutely incredible, with large balls of roses, decorative vases, elegant tablecloths, and a beautiful backdrop to highlight the glowing newlyweds. Through their unique style, they created a beautiful set up for Isabella and Sasha. To top everything off, each table was set with Darth Vader themed chocolates.

The ‘Imperial March’ began, ushering in the couple, lit with blue and red lights to signify the Jedi and the Sith. The wedding party accompanied them, illuminating the way through the entrance tunnel with their own set of lightsabers.

Dinner started shortly after the entrance, starting with a delicious Caesar salad with house-made dressing. There were crab cakes and sauce, beef medallions, chicken supreme, roast potatoes, and gravy to top it off. Dessert was three tiers, made up of strawberry cheesecake, chocolate brownie, and vanilla creme brûlée.

After dinner, things moved into speeches, the presenters delivering heartwarming anecdotes about the couple. Sasha’s dad then took the guests on a trip through the life of a tyrannosaurus rex, talking about their physicality using props and visuals. He then moved into a discussion of Russia, noting that the collapse of the USSR coincided with the birth of Sasha. It was hilarious, entertaining, and well delivered, and had guests chuckling throughout.

When speeches wrapped, we played our same day slideshow for the guests, and then dances commenced. Isabella and Sasha kicked things off with their first dance, to “Beauty and The Beast.” They played a few dance floor games, including bouquet and garter toss, the latter of which was required to be removed by the groom’s teeth. This proved to be quite a challenge, as Isabella’s gown was mermaid cut!

DJ Richard of the Fun Factory DJ Service carried the night with a great mix of music, and from there, guests poured out onto the dance floor and partied the night away!

We had a great day with Sasha and Isabella, and hope they love their images as much as we enjoyed taking them!

Online Gallery

An online gallery of all their images is available for the next 90 days. From the online gallery you are able to favourite images, order prints and share the gallery with your family and friends. The gallery can be accessed via the link below and you can contact the couple directly for their secure password.

Isabella and Sasha’s Wedding video by Milky Way Films

Milky Way Films is a Calgary based local and destination wedding videography company. They are prepared to go the distance to capture your beautiful day on film and always ready to exceed your expectations. You will be able to share one of the most important celebrations in life with each other, close friends, and your family while Milky Way Films captures and creates memories for you to always reminisce over and share with your loved ones for years to come.

Learn more about our studio

JM Photography offers Calgary brides the very best in wedding photography! Our unique style and best in class experience is one of a kind. Each wedding is treated with the greatest of care and creativity, resulting in breathtaking imagery. We also offer Calgary newborn photography, capture maternity sessions as well as family portraits.

We are one of the top studios in Western Canada, servicing the Calgary area, including but not limited to, Canmore, Banff, Cochrane, Chestermere, Airdrie, Lethbridge, and Red Deer. We also offer coverage in Edmonton, Vancouver and to destinations worldwide.

A Calgary based wedding, family and event photographer that specializes in capturing the real moments of a couples story or event. He runs JM Studios and they offer couples, families, companies, corporations and brands the very best in modern photography. He began taking photos at 17 and has been captivated by mastering this art form ever since.